Make Way for the Returning Light

"May you have

the gladness of Christmas which is hope;

The spirit of Christmas which is peace;

The heart of Christmas which is love."

~Ada V. Hendricks

Here we are today at the Winter Solstice, December 21nd, which is both the shortest day and longest night of the solar year. Today may be the the longest night but it carries the promise of Spring. The Winter Solstice is the day that the Sun’s light begins to grow again. The diminishing of the Sun’s light ends and the days begin to grow brighter and longer again until warmth and fertility return to the Earth.

The word Solstice literally means the sun stands still. It is the extreme positions of the sun at midsummer and midwinter, that makes the rising and setting of the sun appear to take place in the same position on the horizon for three or four days in succession. The Sun's path north or south appears to come to a magical stop before reversing direction.

It’s also the day, if we are attuned to the rhythm of the seasons, that we know we are heading toward more daylight and this manages to lift our spirits and has been a cause for celebration way back into the most ancient of times.

In the Jin Shin Jyutsu philosophy, it is not surprising that the color associated with this Winter-time of darkness is blue/black. The attitude of imbalance is FEAR and the harmonizer for fear is LOVE. (Hold your index finger to balance.)

This moment of transit from the old light to the new provides an opportunity for each of us to reflect on our experiences through the year and to set our intentions for the incoming year. Take this opportunity to embody the light, the love, and the consciousness that is your birthright as a Spiritual Being having this Human Experience. I invite you to embrace the darkness, to welcome the returning light and to share this love with all around you. Merry Christmas.

"With mounds of greenery,

the brightest ornaments,

we bring high summer to our rooms,

as if to spite the somberness

of winter come."

~Margaret Starkey

Expect to BE Well-Minimize Winter Woes

“Take care of your body.

It's the only place you have to live.”

~Jim Rohn

 
As we make our way into winter, I encourage you to Expect to Be Well. I know people who not only expect to get sick all winter but they worry and fear that they will get sick and they do, often.  The attitudes of Fear and Worry dis-harmonize the body and dis-ease of one kind or another creeps in. So set the intention to BE WELL, it will go a long way to keeping you in Balance.

We prepare our homes, gardens and vehicles for winter by doing regular preventive maintenance. If we are smart we will do the same thing with our bodies. Every Jin Shin Jyutsu session boosts your immune system and prepares your body for whatever life throws at you. Daily Self-Help and Regular Jin Shin Jyutsu sessions will also help you to heal faster if you do catch something and a session when you feel something coming on can often prevent a cold from taking hold. 

Here is a wonderful Daily Self-Help Flow to help you to stay healthy. It is especially helpful if you feel something "coming on." Don't explain the feeling away as tiredness, because chances are if you are tired, then you are more susceptible to whatever is "going around." This self-help is used to build or increase immunity for colds and flu.

Place your left hand on your right neck/shoulder area (the soft muscle area where your neck and shoulder meet). Place your right hand at the fold of your right leg at the groin. Hold until you feel a rhythmic pulse in both places. Then switch: place your right hand on your left neck/shoulder area. Place your left hand at the fold of your left leg at the groin. Breathe and Be Well. 

Maintaining a healthy energy system is the best preventive for keeping the body from being invaded by colds, flu and other illness. Jin Shin Jyutsu leads to better sleep, strengthened immune system, reduced aches & pains, reduced depression, minimized effects from stress, improved moods. The benefits of Jin Shin Jyutsu are cumulative. The more regularly you practice self-help and get sessions, the more benefit there is for you. Those aches and pains go away faster, stay away longer or go away entirely.

We all know that we are more susceptible to common colds, flu and other ailments when we have experienced stress of any kind in our lives...and who is not exposed to stress?! Jin Shin Jyutsu is a great way to eliminate the effects of stress on our bodies. Many experts say that the majority of disease is stress-related. These stress-related diseases continue to claim more lives each year.

I want you to know that it is misconception that a holistic health session, like Jin Shin Jyutsu, is just a luxury. Some people believe that a session is either an indulgence for the wealthy or a 'treat' for special occasions. Most clients come in only for a birthday or special holiday. But adding Jin Shin Jyutsu to your life is a great, proactive way to take charge.

The cost of these regular sessions should be weighed against the benefits of treatment: better sleep, strengthened immune system, reduced aches & pains, reduced depression, minimized effects from stress, improved moods. Know too that the benefits of Jin Shin Jyutsu are cumulative. The more often you get a session, the more benefit there is for you. Those aches and pains go away faster, stay away longer or go away entirely. Life is Good.

“To ensure good health:

eat lightly, breathe deeply, live moderately,

cultivate cheerfulness, and maintain an interest in life." 

~William Londen 

Stop the Swirl of Holiday Stress

"The time to relax is when you don't have time for it."

~Sydney J. Harris

     We forget sometimes that the time to take time for ourselves is when we seem to have no time at all! I love this quote and was reminded of it last week when I offered a session to a stressed-out friend. Her response was, "Oh, that sounds so nice. Maybe when things calm down, I will be able to take you up on your offer." I know that a session would have helped her to find some balance in her life, to calm things down for her.
     In my experience, when we come at things from a place of balance, everything calms down. We need to find ways to replenish our energy, so that we can continue to take care of our kids, spouse, job, family and friends. We know that we need to take time when we feel that we have nothing left to give to the things/people that we care about!
     So, when you find yourself caught up in the swirl of holiday stress, just stop. Hit the Pause Button. Remember your Breath. Take a moment in the peaceful center of the storm. Get yourself a session And then Go with the Flow.
    I encourage you to remember that peace and calm are indeed possible in the midst of the holiday season.

"Every day brings a choice: to practice stress or to practice peace."

~Joan Borysenko

Developing an Attitude of Gratitude

"I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, 

and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder."

~G.K. Chesterton

     I created this Thanksgiving Turkey Hand several years ago on Thanksgiving Morning after holding my fingers, as I do most mornings, and thinking about the gifts that Jin Shin Jyutsu brings to my life and how easy it is to access those gifts by holding my fingers.

     In the practice of Jin Shin Jyutsu, we are taught that by holding our fingers we can harmonize the attitudes that dis-harmonize our bodies. Each finger harmonizes an attitude as well as the organs that are affected by that particular attitude. Hold your fingers not to suppress attitudes but to express or release them. Holding our fingers to harmonize limiting thoughts and attitudes is the simplest, most readily available tool we have to cope with whatever life throws at us. This simple act not only keeps us from getting stuck in those limiting attitudes, but brings us in touch with the limitless, positive and harmonious gifts that BALANCE brings to us!

     I wanted to find a way to emphasize these gifts and was inspired to created this Thanksgiving turkey hand as a way to show what we bring in as we harmonize those attitudes! At the same time giving me a chance to express my gratitude for each of these gifts that my practice of Jin Shin Jyutsu brings to my life each day.  I have always known that cultivating an attitude of gratitude would bring good things into my life but in doing research for this article I found that while many emotions and personality traits are important to well-being, there is evidence that gratitude may be uniquely important.

     Gratitude enhances our sense of satisfaction while balancing the attitudes of greed and entitlement. Practicing gratitude is a workout for the soul: repeated awareness of the blessings in our lives helps us to dwell on the positive and wonderful in our lives. Our positive attitude helps us to master the change instead of being controlled by it.  When we choose to focus our attitudes on the good stuff we find that we indeed have more.

     When we are in balance, we experience deep trust and the ability to let go of emotions and experiences that are holding us back. It is indeed up to us how we choose to look at life. My hero, Joseph Campbell, reminds us to "Participate joyfully in the sorrows of the world. We cannot cure the world of sorrows, but we can choose to live in joy."  Yes, the choice is up to us. Happiness isn't something that just happens to you, but rather, something you can choose at any time, in any situation. Our happiness is dependent on our ability to feel gratitude for our many blessings.

HOLD each finger for about 5 minutes or until you can feel a gentle rhythmic pulsing, even and clear. Breathe easily. Relax the shoulders and smile from the very heart of you.

thumb - worry transforms to into harmony, a healthy sense of self, profound security
index - fear transforms into love, flow, perfect circulation
middle - anger transforms into peace and balance
ring - sadness and grief transform into joy and happiness
little - try-to's/effort and pretense transform into ease, laughter and BE-ing
palm - despondency transforms into equilibrium, balance, intuition and connection to Divine Source

Take charge of your ATTITUDES and bring GRATITUDE into your daily practice. Remember that the simple act of holding your fingers will balance all of your Attitudes and transform them into the positive emotions that we all thrive on. It really is that simple. We are in charge of our attitudes and nature has given each of us an easy and accessible way to do so.

 "Could we change our attitude,

we should not only see life differently,

but life itself would come to be different."

~Katherine Mansfield

The Practice of Compassion

 "If you want others to be happy, practice compassion.

If you want to be happy, practice compassion."

~Dalai Lama

The Budda is quoted as saying, "It is possible to travel the whole world in search of one who is more worthy of compassion than oneself. No such person can be found." It is through developing compassion that we are able to rise above personal feelings and open our hearts to others.

Compassion-from Latin: "co-suffering"-is a virtue, in which the emotional capacities of empathy and sympathy for the suffering of others are regarded as a part of love itself, and a cornerstone of greater social interconnectedness and humanism — foundational to the highest principles in philosophy, society, and personhood.

The practice of Jin Shin Jyutsu is all about compassion. It is through compassion for ourselves and others, that we can walk the path of our true spirit.
In Japanese, Jin means “knowing, compassionate human being.”  Compassion is viewed as "the magic key that unlocks the true power of our inner spirit." This principle is a feeling of whole hearted acceptance of the weakness and strengths of the human race without judgment.
Shin means spirit, “divine nature” or “creation.” It is through this spirit that energy flows from us to another. This spirit breathes in and through each of us. It encompasses the whole of the universe and sets us on the path of self awareness, in tune with nature and the oneness of all things.
And Jyutsu simply means “the art of.” Thus, Jin Shin Jyutsu can mean “the Art of Divine Creation through Compassionate Human Intent” or "the Art of the Creator through Man of Knowing and Compassion."Jin Shin Jyutsu is the art of releasing tensions and attitudes, which are the causes for various symptoms in the body. As we come into balance, we increase our capacity for compassion and reinstate harmony.

"Compassion impels us to work tirelessly to alleviate the suffering of our fellow creatures, to dethrone ourselves from the centre of our world and put another there, and to honour the inviolable sanctity of every single human being, treating everybody, without exception, with absolute justice, equity and respect." ~from Charter for Compassion

This virtue is SO what we are missing in our world and our lives. Our capacity to become better human beings is dependent on compassion, that ability to feel what others are feeling and experiencing, to understand the pain and sorrow that another is suffering, and to accept each other with tolerance and non-judgment. By developing patience and understanding, we find the clarity to know all sides of a story. When we overcome our ego, we clearly see that we are all interconnected and dependent on each other for our well-being.

"Compassion is that which makes 

the heart of the good move at the pain of others.

It crushes and destroys the pain of others; 

thus, it is called compassion.

It is called compassion 

because it shelters and embraces the distressed."

~Buddha

How to Make Self-Help Work for You

“Nourishing yourself 
in a way that helps you blossom

in the direction you want to go
 is attainable,

and you are worth the effort.”

~Deborah Day

Empowering people through self-help is one of my missions as a holistic practitioner. Each of my clients receive self-help routines to do on their own, tailored to their particular needs and abilities. This enables them to extend the benefits of the work that we do together by developing a personal daily practice. It is the time one puts into self-help/self-reflection that strengthens the pathway for healing.

I find that the most effective self-help is self-help that is done with the least amount of effort. It can be as easy as holding a finger or doing a one-step "quickie". You can do an entire flow or just the steps that feel good to you. Whatever you do for yourself will be beneficial. The results are not always immediate, nor do they always come in the form that you are looking for, but on some causal level they are working for you, peeling the deep layers and clearing the way for balance and healing.

Here are some tips to help you in your personal self-help practice:
    •    Relax- just be as you are.
    •    Use whatever position is most convenient, practical or comfortable for you.
    •    Ideally, apply each step or connection until a rhythmic pulsation can be felt. But if time is limited, hold for as much time as you have available.
    •    All sequences can be adjusted to suit you.
    •    Be comfortable. If you can not reach a step, you can skip it and go on to the next step that you can reach without straining.
    •    Jin Shin Jyutsu works effectively over clothing, bandage, brace or cast.
    •    Use your entire hand, one finger, or several fingers, your  palm or back of the hand whatever is easy, comfortable and convenient at the time.
    •    No strength is required. It is not necessary to apply pressure, to rub or massage.

Mary Burmeister encourages us to "...Simply adjust the sequence to your own convenience and comfort. If for instance, a "step" feels most revitalizing to you, just get into the habit, in your art of LIVING, of utilizing that step as your own 'special' quickie revitalizing exercise. The art of LIVING is simple. You are the artist."

The only time Jin Shin Jyutsu is not effective is when you are not using it. So pick something simple and do it every day. Make a daily goal of 20 minutes to start with and build up to more time eventually. The time spent with self-help need not be continuous, but can be 5 minutes here and 10 minutes there. Make it work for you however you can. Do not be discouraged. Remember that the results are not always immediate, nor do they always come in the form that you are looking for, but on some causal level they are working for you, peeling the deep layers and clearing the way for balance and healing.

   Regular Jin Shin Jyutsu sessions and self-help provides a valuable support system as it is aids in restoring the body's energy systems to a balanced, efficient, functioning state. It's practice helps us to take charge of our negative attitudes and to change the self-defeating belief of inevitable aging. It teaches us to master the art of living and to seeing aging as an opportunity for greater peace of mind, wisdom, creativity and happiness. Jin Shin Jyutsu brings to us a new awareness of our limitless life energy and of our ability to partake of the effortless reality, which is our birthright. We can then expect the best results by learning and practicing good health habits for staying healthy and reducing stress. Ultimately, Jin Shin Jyutsu will restore you to a knowledge of yourself and of your long dormant innate ability to improve the quality of your life.

“Sometimes the most important thing in a whole day

is the rest we take between two deep breaths.”

~Etty Hillesum

Longevity Wisdom

"Anti-aging requires an understanding 
of longevity wisdom.


Your Creator has given you built-in body wisdom


to keep you forever young and healthy.


Essentially, it is an innate awareness 
of not only your body’s basic needs


but also all the signs and signals by which your body


warns you of what is wrong with you.


So, invoke and embrace that wisdom."


~Stephen Lau

When Master Jiro Murai revived the ancient art of Jin Shin Jyutsu around 1920, one of the terms that he used to described Jin Shin Jyutsu was the Art of Longevity: Live fully, experience each breath fully.

Most of us are raised to believe that growing older means a progressive decline in health, wellness, mental and physical ability. I feel lucky to have had the most amazing Young Grandmother! She passed a few years ago at over 90 years old but throughout my life she has been an inspiration in vitality. I have vivid memories of her smiling and living life fully. In her 80's she was encouraged to participate in the local Senor Center activities.. but she declined saying "Why would I want to hang out with those old people?" She ran her own antique shop into her 80's, active and fun-loving. This woman had life to LIVE! She always made such an impression on me that for as long as I can remember, I would tell her that when I was as old as her, I wanted to be as young as she was! For me, she set the example that a study by researchers at North Carolina State University in 2009 concluded-that you really are only as old as you think you are. Thank you Grandma!

"While scientists have to date largely focused on the biology of longevity, the secrets of living to an exceptional age lie more in our personalities, attitudes, support systems and life experiences than our genes." ~Leonard W. Poon

Regular Jin Shin Jyutsu sessions and self-help provides a valuable support system as it is aids in restoring the body's energy systems to a balanced, efficient, functioning state. It's practice helps us to take charge of our negative attitudes and to change the self-defeating belief of inevitable aging. It teaches us to master the art of living and to seeing aging as an opportunity for greater peace of mind, wisdom, creativity and happiness. Jin Shin Jyutsu brings to us a new awareness of our limitless life energy and of our ability to partake of the effortless reality, which is our birthright. We can then expect the best results by learning and practicing good health habits for staying healthy and reducing stress. Ultimately, Jin Shin Jyutsu will restore you to a knowledge of yourself and of your long dormant innate ability to improve the quality of your life.

“If you ask what is the single most important key 
to longevity,
 I would have to say
 it is avoiding worry, stress and tension.


And if you didn't ask me, I'd still have to say it.”


~George F. Burns